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<h1>Other shots</h1>
<h3>Volley</h3>
<p>A volley in tennis is a shot that is hit before the ball bounces on the ground. Generally a player hits a volley while standing near the net, although there are instances where it is executed farther back, in the middle of the tennis court or even near the baseline.</p>

<p>The primary objective of the volley is to go on the offensive, cutting the opponent's reaction time. The opponent will have much less time to chase down the ball from a volley. Another consideration is that, by volleying, a player eliminates any possibility of a bad bounce from an uneven surface such as those on some grass and clay courts. Also, while being near the net, the volleyer has a wider choice of angles to hit into the opponent's court. A volleyer, however, must have quick reflexes to make his shot, which also requires hand–eye coordination. A volleyer must also be prepared for passing shots and lobs from the opponent.</p>

<h3>Half volley</h3>
<p>A half volley in tennis is a shot that is hit immediately after the ball bounces. The player who is hitting the half volley should not take a full backswing, but should still follow through. It is sometimes called an "on the rise shot". The grip for this shot is a standard continental. Also, staying down when hitting the shot is very important, or else it will go long. This is the basic form for the volley, hence the name: half volley. The two parts of the tennis court where this shot is generally used are on the baseline and the service line.</p>

<p>A half volley is a difficult shot to make. Often a player hits a half volley only when forced by the opponent or caught out of position. Arguably the greatest half-volleyer in history is John McEnroe; other professionals such as Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras had excellent half volleys that were used as weapons.</p>

<h3>Lob</h3>
<p>A lob is usually hit when an opponent is standing near the net, waiting to volley. The ball should sail over the top of the opponent and into the open court behind him. A good offensive lob cannot be reached by the opponent, yet it is low enough and has enough pace so that the opponent can not run back and chase it down. It can win the point outright, although with some risks involved. Topspin greatly enhances the effectiveness of offensive lob but also makes the stroke more difficult. When executing the lob, players usually hit the ball at an angle between 0 degrees (flat) and 45 degrees (diagonal). Some players, such as Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, and Lleyton Hewitt have developed good offensive lobs.</p>

<p>A defensive lob, on the other hand, simply intends to push the opponent back to the baseline and prolong the point. When a player is pulled out of court, a defensive lob is also useful to buy time to run back and get into a better defensive position.</p>

<p>A lob that is not successful (can be reached by the opponent)(too shallow) is susceptible to being smashed.</p>
<p>Some players are able to manipulate a lob so that it appears the shot is overhit, but dips enough to fall within the baseline, often deceiving the opponent. This is created by generating a great amount of backspin, slicing or cutting the ball over the head of the other player. This shot, which can also be hit with tremendous topspin, is called a "moon volley."</p>

<h3>Smash</h3>

<p>A smash in tennis is a shot that is hit above the head with a serve-like motion. A smash can usually be hit with great force relatively safely and is often a shot that ends the point. Most smashes are hit fairly near the net or in mid-court before the ball bounces, generally against lobs that have not been hit high enough or deep enough by the opponent. A player can also smash a very high ball from the baseline, generally on the bounce, although this is often a less forceful smash.</p>

<p>Pete Sampras popularized the jump smash, where he jumps and then hits the smash in mid-air. The regular smashing shot, along with the downward force of a falling body, make this type of smash nearly undefeatable. The shot is often also called a slam dunk, as in basketball.</p>

<h3>Drop shot</h3>
<p>A drop shot in tennis is slicing, putting a backspin on the ball just over the net. A good drop shot travels such that the opponent is unable to run fast enough to retrieve it.</p>

<p>A good drop shot requires great touch. The ball should bounce low and near the net, sometimes using underspin (or backspin). Often if the backspin is great enough, the bounce of the ball will be shorter, and in some extreme cases will even cause the ball to bounce back towards the net. Sidespin may also be put on the ball so it kicks sideways upon contact with the ground. A bad drop shot, however, can be chased down easily by the opponent who will then have the advantage. The secret is having "soft hands." Making one's grip slack at the moment of impact will allow the racquet to absorb more force and make the ball less powerful and less likely to bounce high. A soft drop shot is known as a dink.</p>

<p>The notion of skimming the net might be misleading. Keeping the ball as low as possible over the net is very useful, but the trajectory of the ball is quite "arched" and may better be thought of as a small lob.</p>

<p>Drop shots are good as an element of surprise, when the opponent is expecting a normal shot and is not ready to run forward to retrieve them. Therefore, a technique of hitting a drop shot is to disguise the shot.</p>

<p>The characteristics of some court surfaces make drop shots particularly effective; grass and clay are good examples. On grass, the ball tends to bounce lower than other courts, which makes it harder to retrieve a drop shot. On clay, the slow surface tends to encourage players to stay far back and engage in rallies from behind the baseline, which in turn increases the distance the player must cover to reach a drop shot near the net. Drop shots on hard courts can be useful, although to a lesser degree. Drop shots are also useful when the wind is blowing in the opposite direction of the shot; this allows spin without hitting the shot too long.</p>

<ul>
<li>
<gale:a href="forehand">Forehand</gale:a>
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<li>
<gale:a href="backhand">backhand</gale:a>
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<li>
<gale:a href="serve">Serve</gale:a>
</li>
<li>
<gale:a href="other_shots">Other shots</gale:a>
</li>
</ul>


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